Zeke Medling—2016 NASHS Citizenship Award Olivia Gardiner ... · It was fantastic to be able to announce those students who gained Principal Awards for their 2016 Semester 2 ...

Issue No. 1/17 21 February 2017

We recently held our first Whole School Assembly at which we acknowledged student achievements from 2016. It was fantastic to be able to announce those students who gained Principal Awards for their 2016 Semester 2 results. Congratulations also goes to those students announced as the 2016 Dux from each year group: Year 7: Ebony Belfield Year 8: Molly Bowles Year 9: Apryl Oreo / Maeve Joyce-Piette Year 10: Zac Adami Year 11: Elise de Vos / Krista Houweling Olivia Gardiner was awarded the 2016 Defence Forces Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Scholarship for her admirable leadership skills, ability to work in a team environment and commitment to the NASHS values of respect and responsibility. Two Citizenships Awards were also announced: with Zeke Medling receiving the 2016 NASHS Citizenship Award and Anthony Turner being presented with the Australia Day Young Person’s Citizenship Award for the Great Southern Region. Another special announcement was the 2017 School Captains. Congratulations to Jessica Leamon and Zoe Shephard. Both girls have excellent leadership qualities and will make great ambassadors for the school.

Anthony Turner—Australia Day Young Person’s Citizenship Award for the Great

Southern Region.

Zeke Medling—2016 NASHS Citizenship Award

NASHS 2017 School Captains Zoe Shephard and Jessica Leamon

NASHS 2016 Dux Awards

Olivia Gardiner—2016 Defence Forces Long Tan Leadership and

Teamwork Scholarship

PRINCIPAL’S COMMENT

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS SICK?

Please phone (9892 0611) or SMS (0409 089 160) the school prior to school starting. If you are unable to call in the morning, other methods of communication to the school are email or written note. An initiative that allows parents to contact the school is by Facebook and the smartphone app. By downloading the app to your phone parents are able to inform the school about a student’s absence as well as receive regular information on news and events.

A student’s absence must be explained by the parent or caregiver not the student.

Please ensure that your details are updated at the Front Office so that we can contact you about unexplained absences.

Welcome to our first newsletter for the 2017. As I mentioned in my Term 1 letter last week it has been a good start to the school year. We have welcomed 780 students and 9 new teaching staff to NASHS this year. The school classrooms and grounds were ready to go on the first day of term, thanks to the great efforts of the NASHS cleaners and the school groundsmen. I would also like to thank the Albany Department of Fire and Emergency Services for their very quick response to the fire which started in the bush east of the school in the week before school started. Through their efforts the fire was quickly contained with no damage to school property. At our first whole school assembly last week we congratulated those students in Years 7-11 who performed exceptionally well in their studies last year. This included the Dux (highest performing students in each year group) and also the 100 students who achieved silver and gold Principal Awards for their academic achievements. We are pleased with the results of our 2016 Year 12 cohort. While the majority of our students seek to achieve the WA Certificate of Education, we aim to support individual students to achieve their personal goals which may not necessarily include achieving a WACE. In reviewing our 2015-2018 Business Plan we are well on track to achieve our Academic and Literacy and Numeracy targets. Academic Target 2 – The Year 12 attainment rate is 85% by 2018. To achieve attainment a student has to either score 55 or above in their ATAR (tertiary entrance exams) or complete a Certificate II Vocational (VET) course. In 2016 our attainment rate was 83%. So we are on track to achieve 85% by the end of 2018. Academic Target 3 – The median ATAR of students applying for University will be maintained above 70. In 2016 our students achieved a median ATAR of 77.9 which compares very favourably to the state median of 82 and to other secondary schools in and around Albany. In addition 66.6 % of our ATAR students were offered their first preference compared to 66.9% across the state. This is a terrific achievement. Literacy & Numeracy Target 4 – 75% of students will achieve OLNA in two of the three areas by December 2017. I am delighted to report that in 2016, of the students eligible for WACE, 97% of our Year 12’s passed OLNA reading; 95% passed OLNA writing and 92% passed OLNA numeracy. This is a credit to the hard work of our students as well as the good teaching provided by staff. You can find a copy of our Business Plan on our web site at www.nashs.wa.edu.au More detail regarding our progress against the 15 Improvement Targets in our Business Plan will be provided in the 2016 Annual Report. This report will be reviewed by the School Board during Term 1 and available on our web site by the end of term. The NASHS School Board will hold its first meeting on Thursday, 2 March. The AGM will be held on Thursday 7 April. There will be a parent vacancy becoming available at the AGM. More detail and nomination forms will be available for this vacancy in early March.

The combined NASHS – Albany Secondary Education Support Centre (ASESC) P&C Association held a very successful meet and greet for parents on 8 February followed by the first general meeting for the year on 15 February. It was delightful to see so many new parents attend. The AGM will be held on Wednesday 29 March at 5.30 pm. All parents are welcome to attend. It was through the determined and sustained efforts of the P&C that the construction of a manned crosswalk on Albany Highway was ready for day one of the school year. Our students can now cross this very busy highway safely. We do need to have a functioning P&C to provide a canteen service to our students. The school canteen provides very healthy food choices for students at a very reasonable price. We ask that parents encourage their child to purchase their lunch and snacks from the canteen. The aim of our school canteen is not to make a profit but to break even and that allows the P&C to keep prices as low as possible. We employ our canteen staff and they are all trained in food services. The canteen also now offers EFTPOS facilities enabling students to use cards rather than bringing cash to school. The P&C are hoping to start an online ordering service by the end of term. This also means that parents can ensure their child is using the school canteen and making healthy food choices. All staff at NASHS are committed to providing teaching and learning programs that provide opportunities for students to succeed. Academic success also relies on students actively participating in their own education by coming to school with the right equipment and being attentive in class. We also very much rely on parents and the NASHS community to reinforce our school values & expectations. If you have any queries at any time about your child’s education please do not hesitate to contact the school on 98920611. Our friendly and professional office staff will be able to direct you to the right person. We are looking forward to working with you to ensure our students have a terrific year at NASHS!

Regards,

Principal

JAPANESE TOUR 2017

Recently, I was fortunate to lead a group of 11 lucky students, 9 from NASHS and 1 each from Denmark High School and Mt Barker Community College, and assisted by Mr Darian Le Page (NASHS teacher) on a two week tour to Japan. We were all immersed in language, culture, history, modern technology, Japanese food, home life and school life during the tour.

The tour departed from Perth on 21 January. 16 hours later, we arrived at our accommodation for the first 4 nights in Kyoto. But the group didn’t rest; after heading out for Okonomiyaki for lunch, we went to Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion) and Ryoanji – a temple with famous stone garden. Other sites in Kyoto included the Silk Road and the Monkey Park in Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari Taisha Temple, Kiyomizu Dera Temple, the Philosopher’s Walk and Nenzanji Temple which highlights the canal and aqueduct systems built more than 200 years ago to bring trade and water from one side of the Japanese mainland to the other. Kyoto Tower and Kyoto Train Station were other sites to be seen. We all enjoyed Ashiyu (foot hotspring) after many hours of sightseeing.

On Australia Day, the group boarded a bus and headed to Kobe to visit the Disaster Reduction Museum. The museum remembers the Kobe Earthquake which struck on 17 January 1995 and killed more than 6000 people. The many lessons learnt from this earthquake have now been used to improve infrastructure and ways of responding to natural disasters all over the world. The Western Australian Government Office in Kobe was an ideal spot for lunch while learning about the Sister relationship between Western Australia and Hyogo Prefecture. It was then straight on to Sanda and our host school, Sanda Shouenkan High School. We received a rapturous greeting from many students holding placards welcoming our students to their school. Some very nervous students spent the first night with their host families, returning to school the next day with any apprehension squashed. Students spent 5 nights with their families including the weekend. Some were taken to Himeji, Osaka and Kobe, while others went to visit relatives or participated in weekend school events, went skiing or soaked in hot springs. Students also attended school with their host student. We spent 2 days enjoying classes - Japanese style, giving presentations, making soba and participating in after school club activities. It was very hard to leave as many friendships were forged in just a few days.

However, Hiroshima was calling as was the Shinkansen (bullet train) ride. The 300km trip was completed in just over 1 hour. The Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum was an intense journey for most. Seeing first-hand what an atomic bomb can do, and reading the stories of those who were killed is very difficult. However, it also creates a sense of peace – it is calming to know that there are millions of people throughout the world who are working towards world peace. Over 1000 paper cranes created by many NASHS students and our Mt Barker student joined the masses of paper cranes laid by many other people from many countries in the shelters surrounding Sadako’s Statue in the Park. We all rang the Peace Bell before leaving the park.

Miyajima and its famous Ikutsushima Shrine was a relaxing place to spend the day. A World Heritage area, the Island is famous for the red Torii gate in the water, the deer roaming freely on the island and the natural landscape which covers the majority of the island. The last day saw our group hurtling back to Osaka on the Shinkansen to spend the day at Universal Studios, Japan.

We all arrived safely back in Albany on 3 February, 22 hours after departing Japan on a late night flight the previous evening.

Japan is juxtaposition between traditional and modern, old and new, fast and slow. We were able to witness all of this and more.

I was very proud of the way our students presented themselves while in Japan. They showed a great deal of maturity, politeness and respect. They tried any food or experience that was given to them. They cared for each other throughout the tour. They learnt much about Japan and the Japanese way of life – present and past. They made lasting friendships and had a lot fun. Well done to you all for sharing this amazing adventure in such a positive way.

Eating Soba - buckwheat noodles

Atomic Dome – Hiroshima

Kinkakuji - Kyoto Hiroshima Peace Park

Making Soba - Sanda

Itsukushima Shrine

Fushimi Inari Taisha – Kyoto

Eating Okomiyaki – first meal

Deer on Miyajima

Making Soba

W H O D O I C O N T A C T I N T E R M ONE 2 0 1 7 For general enquiries about your child’s progress at school please contact the Year Coordinator or other members of Student Services Team (see the list below). For subject specific issues please contact your child’s subject teacher or the relevant Head of Learning Area. Yr 7 Coordinator Leonie Puzey School Nurse Cathy Watson Yr 8 Coordinator Rebecca Gallimore Aboriginal & Islander Education Officer Rachel Brown Yr 9 Coordinator Kylie Rennie Student Services Coordinator Andrew Harrison Yr 10 Coordinator Dan Smith School Psychologist Amy Gostelow Yr 11 Coordinator Susie Wood Chaplain Ben Wyatt / Jennie Small

HEAD OF LEARNING AREAS AND TEACHERS IN CHARGE Mathematics (HOLA)

Jo Stevens Physical Education / Health (HOLA)

Kylie Rennie Home Ec Bronwyn Day

Science (HOLA) Glenn Simpson Technology & Enterprise / Art (HOLA)

Peter Gray Business Ed, Workplace Learning & VET Coordinator

Pamela Greenhart

Humanities and Social Sciences (HOLA)

Jody Thomas-Smith

Library Pippa Williams Learning Support Coordinator

Tracy Myers

English / LOTE (HOLA)

Mark Ruffell Visual Art Matt Marchment

Deputy Principals: Anthony Johnson (Years 7,8,9), Mark Cullen (Years 10,11,12)

Manager, Corporate Services: Keely George

Yr 12 Coordinator Andrew Harrison

The School Development (Pupil Free) Days in 2017 for Government schools in the City of Albany are:

Monday, 24 April 2017

Friday, 18 August 2017 Friday, 10 November 2017 (Albany Show Day)

Friday, 15 December 2017

2017 SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT DAYS

Parents / Guardians holding a Centrelink Family Health Care Card, Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card who have a student/s in Years 7-12 may be able to claim financial assistance up to and including the year the student/s turn 18 years of age.

NOTE: THE CARD HELD MUST BE CURRENT IN FIRST TERM 2017

Successful Applicants will receive:

$235.00 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ALLOWANCE

and $115.00 CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

Applications for Secondary Assistance must be made in person with NASHS Manager Corporate Services.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: FRIDAY 7 APRIL 2017

If you require further information please contact NASHS Business Support Officer, Tracey Askevold on 9892 0611.

Aboriginal Study Grant (through Centrelink) – please note that if you are receiving this type of grant then you cannot apply for secondary assistance. However you may be eligible for the Abstudy Supplement ($79) - applications must also be made in person.

SECONDARY ASSISTANCE SCHEME

COMMENCES ENDS

TERM 3 Mon, 17 July Fri, 22 Sept

Holidays 23 Sept 8 Oct

TERM 4 Mon, 9 Oct Thurs, 15 Dec

Holidays 1 July 16 July

TERM 2 Wed, 26 April Fri, 30 June

Holidays 8 April 25 April

TERM 1 Wed, 1 February Fri, 7 April

2017 TERM DATES FOR STUDENTS

CONNECT AT NASHS

Are you aware that we are a Connect School? Connect is an extremely useful resource tool that allows teachers to communicate with parents and students about their academic progress. Connect keeps you informed of your child’s learning anywhere, anytime through a secure website and free mobile app. The mobile app displays all the latest activity from your children’s classes and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. On the website you can track your child’s progress by accessing their marks. You can also view your child’s attendance, assessment outlines, access assessment task details and access links, files and other content that your teacher provides. It is easy to register for Connect. Log onto the NASHS school website www.nashs.wa.edu.au and click on the Parents Menu. Follow the link to Connect and download the parent registration form. Alternatively you can contact the front office on 9892 0611 for a registration form. You must have a valid email address to register. Once you have completed and returned the registration form, you will be issued with a Parent User ID and Password to access Connect.

NASHS IS A NO SPRAY ZONE

Asthma Australia encourages schools to have a “no aerosol” policy - keep in mind that around 1 in 10 people have asthma. Use of aerosols and pump packs (deodorants and perfumes) can

cause asthma attacks. Chemical droplets can affect lungs, trachea and enter the blood stream and can cause an immediate reaction or long term harm. NASHS encourages students to use a roll on deodorant, change clothes after sport and shower daily to decrease the use of aerosols and pump packs at school. Students are reminded regularly in daily notices, assemblies, in class and posters around the school. Please encourage your child to follow the NO SPRAY ZONE ruling and perhaps purchase them a roll on deodorant when next at the supermarket.

STUDENT SERVICES

The Student Services Team would like to welcome all students to the start of the new year. 2017 will be a busy year with many educational and community activities planned. A special welcome goes to our new Year 7’s who have already settled in well to their education programmes here at NASHS. I would also like to welcome two new staff to the Student Services Team: Mrs Leonie Puzey, Year 7 Coordinator and Mr Darian Le Page, Year 9 Coordinator. Both are looking forward to working with the students in their year groups. We would like to remind parents that the Student Services Team is available to provide both students and parents with a variety of support. Further details about the team can be found on the NASHS website. (Mr Harrison—Student Services Coordinator)

ATTENDANCE

To maximise their learning opportunities, students need to attend school regularly. The school requires parents/caregivers to provide a reason for all student absences. Parents are reminded that absences due to shopping or birthday celebrations are regarded as unauthorized absences For students going on holiday during term time the school needs two weeks notice to allow Year Coordinators time to collect work for the student to do while away. For other planned absences the school requires one weeks notice. Students need to see either their Year Coordinator or Student Services.

NASHS UNIFORM

NASHS students are expected to wear the school uniform. The uniform comprises NASHS school polo shirts and jackets. Students are able to wear a range of clothing items on the lower half of the body provided it is black & plain and appropriate for a school environment. The school polo shirts can be purchased on any day from the canteen at the low price of $30.00. NASHS school sports shirts are only available from NASHS canteen. These are also priced at $30.00. A specialized uniform service is provided by the P&C each Wednesday morning from 8am – 8.30am. EFTPOS facilities are available. At their first meeting last week the P&C discussed the possibility of NASHS school jackets being sold through the canteen. It is hoped that this service will be available towards the end of term one.

SUN SMART AT NASHS

Students are encouraged to wear sunscreen when outside in the sun. For Phys Ed lessons sun screen is available for student use. We also hope that students are applying sun screen before they leave home each morning. Under cover seating and several pergolas are also available for students so they can seek shade before school and during Break 1 and Break 2. For carnivals and outside events, NASHS has purchased marquees to provide shade.

Our main display for Term 1 reflects how NASHS students have demonstrated our school values in the school and wider community.

LIBRARY OPENING TIMES

8:00am to 3:15pm Monday to Friday. (Closed Break 2).

Wednesday academic and homework classes: 3:15pm to 4:30pm. If you have not already done so and want your child to access academic support on Wednesdays, please complete the permission slip below and return to the Library. (Not necessary for Year 11/12 students.)

NASHS LIBRARY HOMEWORK CLASSES CONTRACT FOR STUDENTS IN YEARS 7 TO 10

Dear Parent/ Guardian, Please read, co- sign and have your child return to the Library before they can start attending. Homework classes operate on Wednesday after school in the Library from 3.15 to 4.30pm. (For safety reasons, students can’t leave earlier without a note.) These operate from Week 2 to Week 9 of each term and the school provides a quick drink and healthy snack before the session commences. Library staff are there to assist with access to resources for assignments and teaching staff from learning areas roster on to help tutor students needing extra help. In some cases teachers may request that students attend these classes for that purpose. It is the parent responsibility to provide transport home at 4:30pm. I ___________________________ give permission for ___________________________ (Year ____) to attend homework classes on a regular basis. They will sign in on the register sheet and either complete homework, an assignment, read an English novel or complete online Mathletics. Students working with tutors will be under the teacher supervision. ________________________________ _____________ PARENT SIGNATURE DATE I _______________________________ agree to the conditions of attending homework classes and will strive to “Do my best” at all sessions. ________________________________ ____________ STUDENT SIGNATURE DATE

NASHS FUNDRAISERS - BEING KIND!

During the Christmas holidays, two Year 10 NASHS students, Chey Sleeman and Nathan Lim cycled 150km of the Mundabiddi track to raise money for a charity close to both of them - the Australian Childhood Foundation. It took Chey and Nathan over 12 hours to complete, however the hard work was all worth it as they fund-raised over $600. Well done to both Chey and Nathan.

Students can collect catalogues for Book Club from the Library. Order online through the Parent LOOP and resources will be delivered to the Library for pick up. The Library does not collect money from students anymore. The search for the school is either “NASHS” or “Albany North Senior High School”.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

CONGRATULATIONS NASHS STUDENTS

Congratulations to Taleah Ugle (Year 9) and Shantay and Sheyann Tidswell (Year 11) who recently showed their musical talents at the City of Albany Australia Day Awards. Shantay and Sheyann, along with John Morgan (Year 12) also travelled to Perth on the holidays to attend a seminar at Curtin University.

YEAR SEVEN NEWS

It has been a very good start to the year for Year 7 students. They have settled in well and are getting to know their teachers and each other. It is wonderful to see the majority of students coming with ALL their stationary to start the year. In the first 3 weeks students have been involved in ICT classes to familiarise them with the school network, how to “Get Work” and “Hand Work” in, using the internet and how to use several programs they will use throughout the year. At the end of the ICT classes students will bring home a copy of what they have been doing for you to see. We have had a great start to Maths this year. Students sorted out their equipment, organising files, assessment folders, homework folder and diary. In Maths students will receive a homework sheet each week – handed out at the beginning of the week and due at the end of the week. The first topic for students is symmetry which has lead them to creating a logo design that’s symmetrical or uses rotational symmetry. The students then used WORD to create their design. We aim to print them and display them in their classrooms.

The year has started well for students of Year 7 English, with lots of enthusiasm and interest in the subject being shown. This term, students will continue learning the basics of good writing and spelling, and there will be a focus on narrative writing this term. Students will write a narrative piece and will undertake a study of the novel and graphic novel, Coraline. As part of their homework for English, students are expected to complete a written task each week and will be given a journal in which to complete it. It is strongly encouraged for students to read a novel regularly, in order to improve their reading fluency, vocabulary and understanding of narrative themes. Year 7 students will be reading with education assistants before school one day per week – students have been informed of their reading day. Parents are asked to please make sure their child attends on their allocated morning. The theme for Humanities and Social Sciences this

term will be Geography; focusing on Water and Liveability. Students will receive homework fortnightly, whilst all assessments will be conducted during class time. Students are encouraged to read newspapers and watch the news regular to keep them a breadth of current affairs. In Science students have started the year learning the laboratory safety rules and looking at the science equipment they may use this year. This term the students will be completing a Transition science course and then studying the Physical science topic. Part of this will include a combined Maths and Science project over a week. The Year 7 staff look forward to working with the students in the term ahead.

NASHS COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE

Welcome to the new school year. My name is Cathy Watson and I am the Community Health Nurse based at NASHS and ASESC. Community Health Nurses are skilled in assessing adolescent health needs. We engage in health counseling with young people to identify issues, risks and protective factors, provide advice and brief intervention, assist with access and referral to other services, and provide follow up care. Young people can drop in to the health centre or make appointments through Student Services to discuss health and wellbeing issues. The services provided are free and confidential. If you have a concern about your child’s health or wellbeing please contact me on 98920605. We will be conducting a Year 8 Immunisation program this term, so please complete the form and return it to school as soon as possible, if your child missed out please contact myself or Immunisation Coordinator on 98427500 and we can arrange catch up immunisations. Immunisation programs in our community are designed to keep everyone well and safe, especially those people who are most at risk, such as babies. Parents or legal guardians who do not immunise their child should note the following: In the case of a Measles or Pertussis (whooping

cough) outbreak, Western Australian schools are required by the Department of Health, to exclude students who have not received the appropriate vaccination.

Please make sure your school-aged child is fully immunised and that you have provided a copy of the AIR immunisation record to the school.

Did you know that as parents you can ring the National registry or go to the web site to check out your child’s immunisation status? All you need is your Medicare number. Phone 1800 653 809 or access the web site: www.humanservices.gov.au or email [email protected]

COMMUNITY NOTICES NASHS provides these notices as a service to our school community. Please note that this does not mean we endorse

WESTERN FORCE VISIT

During the first week of school, players and development officers from the Western Force visited NASHS to run a clinic for a group of students. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves with some learning new skills and other using it as extra training for the Country Week Touch team. The guests were very impressed by the enthusiasm of our student’s and their level of skill.

As part of our 2015 - 2018 School Business Plan, NASHS is embarking on a comprehensive Sustainability program. Last week we purchased 28 paper recycle bins for classrooms. In our newsletters, we will provide handy hints to encourage the school community to join with us on our Sustainability journey. The NASHS Coordinator is Ms Natasha Kneebone (Humanities teacher).

Up to 40% of waste in an average Australian household bin is food. When food decomposes in landfill it emits methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Start a compost bin in your backyard so the nutrients from you food scraps can feed your soil.

SUSTAINABILITY

NARRIKUP NETBALL CLUB INVITES YOU TO JOIN US FOR SEASON 2017 TEAM SELECTION TRIALS: Sunday 19th February & Sunday 26th February at ALAC – New players welcome.

**Please contact us (email or facebook) to register your interest**

NEW PLAYERS WELCOME.

CONTACT US: Email: [email protected] Facebook: Narrikup Netball Club Phone: 0439 520 183 (Latrice) or 0407 060 208 (Andrea)